When I started my blog almost four years ago I decided to call it “Shiro-Khorshid Forever” (Lion and Sun Forever), because of the unifying aspect of the Lion and Sun Flag. One of the first things the Islamic Regime did after coming to power was to change the symbols of our national flag (Lion and Sun) and replace it with Arabic Symbols in an attempt to strip us of our history and nationality.

The Regime was not successful in its quest, and 31 years later Iranians from almost all political fractions including monarchists to modern leftist groups to those who support a republic to armed opposition groups such as the MKO all unite under this flag. All these groups and organizations may have different beliefs and ideologies which divide them, but the Lion and Sun, this unifying symbol always brings them together under one umbrella.

It is exactly this unifying aspect of the Lion and Sun which has instilled great fear in the heart of the Regime. It is this unifying aspect which has caused former Regime Agents turned “activists” to attack our flag, our history and to try to cause a division within the real opposition.

Today I had the pleasure of listening to a short speech by Roozbeh Farahanipour, the founder and the Executive Director of the Marzeporgohar Party (Glorious Frontiers Party) which sums up my sentiments on the Lion and Sun Flag very well. I invite everyone to listen and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.

While there are hundreds of political prisoners and non-political prisoners in Iran who are awaiting execution, these days the focus has been shifted on only one person, leaving everyone else, especially political prisoners far behind.

While it may be easier and more politically correct to jump on a single popular band wagon, I think it is crucial for us to keep in mind the fact that these hundreds (if not more) prisoners and in particular political prisoners are at risk of imminent execution. This is especially so because while all eyes are on the campaign for Ms. Sakineh Ashtinani, it is much easier for the Regime to execute other political prisoners without having to worry about a negative reaction from the international community.

As a pro-democracy activist I see it as my duty to remind everyone that there are many political prisoners who could use the help of the international campaigns, and if we remain silent today, tomorrow might be too late. In the past year alone at least 6 Kurdish political prisoners Ehsan Fatahiyan, Farzad Kamangar, Shirin Alam Holi, Fasih Yasamini, Ali Heydariyan and Farhad Vakili have been executed by the Islamic Regime.

Currently there are at least 19 Kurdish prisoners who are currently awaiting execution. Let’s remember them.

I came across a very amusing news article titled “Iran Warns Against Canada Travel” in Press TV website today. As many of my readers may be aware Press TV is closely linked to the Islamic Regime and follows and carries out the Regime propaganda.

As a lawyer I have the opportunity to witness democracy and Justice in the Canadian courtrooms everyday and feel fortunate to be living in a country with due process, right to legal counsel, right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, right to remain silent and so many other rights which does not exist within the Islamic Regime’s so called “judicial system.”

The irony of this article is that if the Canadian Embassy in Tehran decided to give out visa’s to ordinary Iranians they would be flocking to the Embassy, as many Iranians are eager to get out of Iran which has become a big prison for most Iranians.

This article is not to be taken seriously because it is SERIOUSLY OBSURD, I wonder what will be next, Saudi Arabia criticizing women’s rights in Canada?

Last year on this day Ehsan Fatahiyan a Kurdish political activist in Iran was executed by Islamic Regime officials. Ehsan spent 18 months in prison before his execution and was subjected to torture for many months in order to force a false confession from him, however he never confessed. He had originally been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment on the charges of being a “mohareb” (enemy of god) however; on appeal the death sentence was imposed.

Days before his execution a global campaign was started to stop his execution, thousands of signatures were gathered only in a few days, and people from all walks of life came together in an attempt to stop his execution. Unfortunately the campaign was not successful and on November 11, 2009 the execution was carried out in the central Sanandaj Prison.

Today I honour Ehsan’s memory as well as the memory of all Iranian freedom fighters that in one way or another have stood up against the Islamic Regime and have fought for an Iran where all Iranians regardless of their ethnicity, religion, sex or sexual orientation can live in peace and harmony.

Today I stand in solidarity with the families of all Iranian freedom fighters who have suffered a great loss but have not been defeated.

According to news reports from Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran this morning at 10:00am Behrouz Javid Tehrani, a long time political prisoner and pro-democracy activist was sentenced to 74 lashes, and the sentence was immediately carried out by Hassan Akhriyan a notorious prison official.

Behrouz Javid Tehrani is a pro-democracy activist who has spent most of his adult life in the notorious Islamic Regime prisons. Behrouz was first arrested in 1999 during the pro-democracy student protests. He was released in 2004 and immediately resumed his pro-democracy activities and was arrested again in 2005 and has been in the Gohardasht Prison in Karaj since his arrest.

Gohardasht Prison is known for its brutal conditions and for housing extremely dangerous convicts. Behrouz has been subjected to systematic torture and has spent extensive time in solitary confinement over the past five years.

Although the Islamic Regime agents have tried very hard to break Behrouz’s spirit, they have not been successful. Behrouz has continued his pro-democracy activities from prison in spite of great risk to his safety and well being.

I stand in solidarity with Behrouz and thousands of men and women like him who have managed to remain strong and fight for what they believe in the face of great injustice.

Following is my letter which was published in the National Post in response to the Article titled: Re: Only Military Threat Can Stop Iran: Netanyahu, Nov. 8.

I disagree with the assertion that the only way to stop the Islamic regime in Iran is the threat of military intervention. Such a threat will be counterproductive; as much as the Iranian people are unhappy with the Islamic regime, they will stand behind it against any foreign military intervention. This will set back the pro-democracy movement in Iran which has been stronger and more alive than ever in the past year-and-a-half.

A more productive way of stopping Iran is oil sanctions. Oil exports make up almost 85% of Iran's current annual income, and without that money to pay government workers, and the Revolutionary Guard, the regime will collapse within months.

Tough oil sanctions and international support for the pro-democracy movement inside Iran is the only way to stop the Islamic regime from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Sayeh Hassan, a Toronto criminal lawyer and activist for the Iranian democratic movement told the Winnipeg Jewish Review that “The Iranian professors that were scheduled to speak at the conference“are closely linked to the Iranian regime and are not dissidents.”

She said that the Iranian NGO the Islamic World Peace , which Amari leads, is “an extremely anti-West and anti-Semitic organization, and “as can be seen from their website this organization is a mouthpiece for the Islamic Regime.”

About This Writer

Sayeh Hassan is a criminal defense lawyer with Walter Fox & Associates and an Iranian Pro-Democracy activist. She is the author of the shiro-khorshid-forever blog (www.shiro-khorshid-forever.blogspot.com) which focuses on the pro-democracy movement and Regime Change in Iran. Through her pro-democracy activities she stays in close contact with activists in Iran as well as retaining contacts with various human rights and pro-democracy organizations abroad. She regularly speaks at conferences, has appeared on television and radio programs and her writing has been published by publications such as National Post, Toronto Star & Ottawa Citizen. She can be contacted at sayehhassan30@gmail.com